New hybrids and varieties offer better productivity and nutrition

The CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE) continues to achieve significant development outcomes and impacts through varietal release, scale-up, delivery and adoption of CIMMYT-derived climate-resilient and nutritionally-enriched maize varieties.

In 2018, national partners released 81 unique CGIAR-derived maize varieties across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Of these varieties 14 were hybrid combinations, showing that regional/multinational seed companies use MAIZE improved germplasm to develop and release improved maize hybrids. 20 of the released varieties are nutritionally enriched – Provitamin A, Quality Protein Maize, high-zinc – the result of the MAIZE partnership with Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH; HarvestPlus).

With both public and private sector partners, MAIZE made great strides in combating Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN), from providing capacity building to partners on preventing the spread of the disease to contributing to four new MAIZE-derived MLN tolerant maize hybrids released in Kenya. The battle continues against the fall armyworm, which has been marching across Africa since 2016 and is now spreading throughout Asia. MAIZE has worked alongside regional and international partners to launch the Fall Armyworm R4D International Consortium, an integrated pest management guide, and trainings and videos to support smallholder farmers in fighting against this devastating insect pest.

International collaboration boosts breeding for climate- and disease-resilient wheat

Drought-tolerant wheat varieties developed through international wheat breeding research with the CGIAR Research Program on Wheat (WHEAT) are helping mitigate the effects of climate change on farmers’ fields. A recent impact study found that trials in a variety of growing environments around the world have improved yields by 1.6 percent each year over the past 12 years, surpassing previously reported annual yield gains.

Likewise, international exchanges and breeding research partnerships have more than doubled wheat yields in China over the last 30 years. The newly-mapped wheat genome promises to drive even faster development of high-yielding, climate- and disease-resilient wheat varieties.

WHEAT brings together advanced science with field-level research and extension to raise the productivity and affordable availability of wheat for 2.5 billion resource-poor producers and consumers. In 2018, national partners released 48 new CGIAR-derived wheat varieties to farmers, and WHEAT researchers developed 11 farm management or social science innovations.

In South Asia, estimated annual wheat losses due to wheat blast could reach 1.8 million tons on 7 million hectares in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. WHEAT scientists have identified genetic sources of blast resistance to complement the current CGIAR-derived BARI Gom 33 variety.

In Ethiopia, rust-resistant wheat varieties and rapid diagnostics through field-based genetic and participatory tools such as MARPLE and RustTracker are playing an important role in the country’s quest to become wheat self-sufficient by 2022.

Evidence-based approaches for gender in agricultural research

MAIZE and WHEAT have contributed to and drawn lessons from GENNOVATE, a CIMMYT-led study involving more than 7,500 rural men and women in 26 countries, as well as 11 CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs) and nearly a dozen crops and other agricultural outputs. In 2017, the initiative delivered reports on study outcomes to MAIZE, WHEAT, and other CRPs, and made available a suite of tools and resources for scientists applying gender-aware approaches. See the story “Opening space for innovation through gender-smart approaches” in this report, for details on 2018 activities and achievements.

Innovations in excellence in breeding

In 2018, the Excellence in Breeding Platform (EiB) developed a major role supporting CGIAR centers to respond to the Crops to End Hunger Initiative (CtEH). Drawing from feedback at the second Contributor’s Meeting that took place in 2018, EiB has standardized planning for breeding program improvements across CGIAR and secured new funding worth US $7.4 million from GIZ to deliver on the CtEH goals.

New product management tools and trainings were developed to focus breeding efforts toward farmer and market needs and a new breeding scheme assessment tool was applied to NARO, Uganda, and KALRO, Kenya, breeding programs. Demand for low-cost genotyping services grew by a factor of 4 to US $800,000, phenotyping and operations were assessed at 8 research stations, and significant advances were made to integrate data management systems and improve CGIAR capacities. EiB-supported innovations are part of an online toolbox that was launched at the end of 2018.

Broad CGIAR research engagements

CIMMYT is a leading implementation partner in the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security, as well as participating in the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions and Markets (PIM), the Big Data for Agriculture Platform, the CGIAR Genebanks Platform and the GENNOVATE research initiative.